Slurpee Saturday
by sydney563
Summary: Lauren has a late night addiction, stopping for slurpees every saturday where she meets a new cashier, Tamsin. Things aren't always what they seem at face value. Sparks and insults fly! My attempt to write copdoc for the six people who ship it!
1. Chapter 1

**AN: this came to me the other day, and i have kind of always wanted to write a copdoc quickie since i adore the ladies who play them and its a unique crackship that provides for a ton of snark. Anyways, i am not sure where this will go, so i throw this tiny bit up to see what you think. I am starting to work on the other story while i edit RA, so be patient!**

 **As always i own nothing Lost Girl, just the crazy hijinks.**

* * *

 _ **Slurpee Saturday**_

I am a creature of habit and routine and currently that habitual routine has me walking into the convenience store by my house at two am for a Slurpee.

It started a month ago when on a whim I stopped on a hot Saturday night after my shift looking for something to chase away the weeks stress. Finding it in a frozen cola treat and three extra-large rice Krispy treats. Strange combination for an emergency room doctor, but I didn't care. I had no one but my empty house to judge me.

Walking into the bright fluorescent store, I nodded a hello to Moe, the bald headed fully bearded man that stood watch over the counter in a bright blue smock. "Good evening doc, in for the usual?"

I stood at the Slurpee machine, filling up the largest cup with brown frozen goodness, deciding to dump a shot or two of whiskey into the mix the moment I was home. "As always, Moe." I turned to the barrel of a man, watching his eyes roam over my scrubs like they always did in hopes of catching a curve or a glimpse of skin. I knew I was a rarity on this man's midnight shift, a young attractive sober female, a doctor at that, but I wouldn't budge. Keeping on the sweaty scrubs until I was in the safety of my car, backing out of the parking lot. I walked to the counter, scooping up two rice Krispy treats along the way, "How is your night going?" Moe and I had started a strange acquaintanceship born out of him being my sugar supplier and me being his favorite late night buyer.

Moe shrugged meaty shoulders, "Same as always. Drunks are starting to file in one by one, looking for Gatorade or beer." He glanced up at the clock, "Hoping to make it through the night without cleaning up barf in the bathroom."

I smiled tightly, handing over the cash. I had been thrown up on twice, changed bloody scrubs once and had to stitch up a drunk's forehead. I sort of understood Moe's pain. "I wish you luck then." I took the offered change, collected my treats and walked out, wishing Moe a good night.

Inside my car, I peeled off the sweaty scrub top and tossed it in a ball on the seat next to me. Sighing hard, I sipped the frozen cola, wondering if life would ever break from the routine on the outside of the emergency room. If my life would ever be more than lonely trips to Moe's store for sugary treats that would put me in a sugar coma and make me forget how lonely I was on Saturday nights.

Throwing the car in gear, I sped off towards home. Deciding that three shots of bourbon would be a perfect companion.

* * *

 ** _One week later -_**

I was in a foul mood, far more foul than the usual when the end of my work week came around. It had been a busy night and I was tired. Beyond tired and instead of going out with a few nurses for drinks and maybe snagging an overnight guest, I rushed out of the locker room and wanted nothing more than to crawl in bed and sleep with the tv on.

Shoving the door open, I threw up a casual wave towards Moe, eyes forward on the Slurpee machine and the biggest bag of cheese puffs on the rack. I sighed heavily, filling up the bucket sized plastic cup, idly wondering why I hadn't heard Moe ask me the same thing he asked every Saturday night. I turned to look over my shoulder at the counter.

Moe was nowhere to be found, in his usual place underneath the cigarette racks was a tall, young, blonde woman, sitting up on the counter reading a tabloid magazine and gnawing on a beef jerky stick. The woman paid me no attention, giving me the opportunity to run my eyes over the woman, the very attractive woman swallowed up in a Moe size blue smock. Her long blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail, giving full view of her jaw line, long neck, pink glossed lips that held the beef jerky with expertise. I couldn't tell what color her eyes were, her face buried with a furrowed brow into the exploits of the rich and famous sleeping with aliens and the president.

I felt my skin warm up, and not from the oppressive heat of the summer cursing the night, but from the simple beauty of the woman sitting on a dirty counter. I couldn't help it, and continued staring. It had been a minute or three since a woman caught my attention like this one did.

I went to turn away when big greenish blue eyes raised up from the top edge of the magazine and met mine, a confident smirk crossing her face, "Watch it hot shot, I just mopped the floor."

I felt my face turn a hot red, looking down to see my cup overflowing frozen cola all over my hand. "Shit." I set the cup down, grabbing a thick stack of napkins to wipe off my hands and the small blob that had fallen to the floor. "Sorry."

"Apology accepted." The woman's voice was borderline sexy in the tone and the way you could tell she was overconfident. She turned back to her magazine, tearing off another chunk of jerky like she was a ravenous dog. She was hot, but wasn't that hot. Overconfidence was a turn off in my book, regardless of how her eyes sparkled like the Mediterranean Sea.

I blew out a breath, tossing the sticky napkins, reaching for my cup and picking up a bag of maple bacon chips with my usual Krispy treats. "Moe off today?"

The blonde kept her eyes on the magazine, "Yea, he's on vacation for a while."

I nodded, setting my pile of crap food on the counter, "Lucky guy." I dug around in my back scrub pocket for a few bills.

The blonde slid off the counter, allowing me a quick peek at her label maker special nametag. "Tamsin? Is that Swedish?" My brain to mouth filter was clearly off for the night, and I cringed realizing I asked the question out loud.

She gave me a death glare, pushing keys on the cash register with force, "its nunya."

"Nunya?"

"Yea, nunya business." She glared at me harder, "Four fifty."

I frowned, suddenly missing Moe's annoying but far more pleasant demeanor, handing over a five dollar bill. "Sorry, I am tired. It's been a long night and I don't think well this tired."

Tamsin rolled her eyes, handing over the change, "I could care less about your life story." She smiled with an assy grin, hopped back up in the counter and returned to her magazine.

I clenched my jaw, trying to swallow the urge to tell this woman to find some manners, grabbed my things and rushed out of the store.

Backing out of the parking lot I shook my head, I hated it when beautiful women ruined the fantasy by being cocky bitches.

* * *

 _ **Two weeks Later –**_

The heat was oppressive and almost forced me to bypass routine to go straight home and sit on top of the vents in my house, the air conditioning blasting an artic chill up my scrubs.

But like every routine in my life, I found myself pulling into the parking lot without realizing I had even driven there. I sighed, resting my head against the steering wheel, I really needed to get a life or want to get a life. Work was swallowing me whole and as much as I loved my hermit lifestyle, I was craving more. So much more that I had actually started talking to the nurses in the break room, indulging in the vapid gossip that was the lifeblood of City Hospital.

I groaned, sliding out of the cool comfort of my car to be slapped in the face with a thick wall of heat, thinking how shallow I sounded. I was a polite, genuine person that treated everyone with respect, but stunk at being social. I was a huge nerdy brainiac that often chased people away with my desert dry intelligent humor that was laden with a splash of too much intelligence. I didn't know how to gossip, I didn't know how to interject into a conversation about last night's flower ceremony on TV, and I only knew how to insert a chest tube with a flick of the wrist or diagnose a patient just on how their breath smelled.

Dragging my messy, dirty hair in a bun, I pushed through the glass doors, making a direct line to the Slurpee machine. Side glancing a box of doughnuts as a possible add on. I kept my head down, too wrapped up in my self-loathing thoughts staring at the brown slush cascading into a cup.

I stifled a yawn when I heard a rough gravelly voice echo out into the gas pumps outside, "Hey dickface on pump 3, put the fucking cigarette out before I put it out on your face."

I spun around to lock eyes on the blonde, Tamsin, leaning over the microphone flipping the young kid pumping gas outside. She shook her head before plopping back up on to the counter with this week's tabloids and a giant bear claw she mauled in two bites.

I sighed, she was really attractive but she was rough like a trucker or one of those biker chicks I slapped a cast on a few hours into my shift. Clipping a lid on, I took my plastic cup of liquid sugar, grabbed the box of sugar doughnuts and headed to the counter. I kept my head down, hoping the blonde would ignore me and I could leave by just putting a ten dollar bill on the counter top.

"For a doctor you should know that the brown sludge is nothing but sugar and chemicals."

I glanced at Tamsin, "What makes you think I'm a doctor?" The egotistical shitty tone in her voice made me want to bite back.

Tamsin slid off the counter, tossing her magazine to the side and pointed at my chest with her last bite of bear claw, "Your ID badge, Dr. Lauren Lewis, trauma surgeon, city hospital." She tapped on the cash register, "You should probably leave your badge in the car, so people don't get ideas at this late of an hour." She smirked, then turned to the window, growling as she slammed her palm on the microphone, shouting, "Dipshit! What the fuck did I say?"

The kid shot his head towards the blonde, ripping the lit cigarette out of his mouth before stamping it out on the roof of his shiny Mercedes.

"Fucking people, gas is flammable. Not that hard of a concept." Tamsin rolled her eyes, tapping a few more keys.

I huffed, "Well, he looks to be barely driving age. I doubt by the car he is driving that anyone ever taught him the rules of pumping gas." I had no idea why I was defending the dipshit kid, but something about Tamsin made me want to rub her the wrong way.

She scowled at me, "Doc, I am sure you've seen a burn victim or two that would support my anger towards dipshitty kids." Tamsin poked at my box of doughnuts, "Unless you're one of those do as I say not as I do doctors?"

I looked up, meeting green eyes that were full of sass and mischief and for a second, made my heart skip at how beautiful they were. "How much?"

"Three fifty." She smirked, "Grumpy tonight Dr. Lewis?"

I threw a five dollar bill on the counter, "When does Moe come back?"

The smirk grew into a grin, "Like I said, not for a while, you're stuck with me."

Grabbing my Slurpee and doughnuts I turned to walk out when I heard in a less abrasive tone, "Leave your badge in the car, Dr. Lewis, no one needs to know who you are. These streets can be a shitty place late at night and I would hate for you to get hurt."

I threw her a strange look over my shoulder, nodding a quick confused thank you before the smirk returned, "See you next week for your sugar fix, Doctor."

Getting back into the car, I stared at the blonde sitting back on the counter, staring back at me with a soft look before she picked up her tabloid magazine and returned to eating a second bear claw like it was her job.

I sighed, sipping on the Slurpee, there was something in Tamsin's eyes that had me wondering more about her, wondering if her brash trucker attitude was just for show. Kind of like my polite, genuine doctor show I put on every day to keep my coworkers at a distance.


	2. Chapter 2

_**N:**_ **So i decided to alternating pov, it was what broke the block on this one. This is Tam's pov and who knows what will become of this silly thing, it may turn into a epic novel but i am hoping not. Upside, i am on vacation and will be working on OSCSM and...yes, one more chapter of angel lo to semi tie things up as i move that out of LG world and into original work. So with that! you six copdoc fans enjoy!**

 _ **Three Weeks Later – Tamsin**_

Three weeks in this shithole convenience store and I was ready to throttle every single customer that walked in tonight. Setting off that goddamn doorbell as they rushed in for beer, cigarettes, snacks and mostly to annoying the living hell out of me while I was nose deep in celebrity plastic surgery tabloids.

This was the worst detail my boss had ever put me on, it trumped working as a waitress in that nasty Chinese restaurant in the middle of the city monitoring heroin smugglers. I caught the kingpin in three months, along with a forever distaste for almond chicken. Two months later and I was now hoofing the midnight shit shift, mopping up sticky floors and eating all the fresh bear claws before the morning rush.

Kicking the mop bucket across the floor, I looked at the clean floor, free from the sticky rainbow of slushy sugary shit water. I also hated that none of my coworkers did jack shit during the day, leaving it all for the "new girl" to take care. I shook my head, mumbling to myself, "If they only knew I could shoot the wings off a fly at a hundred yards."

Apparently my boss thought my snarky look on life was a perfect fit for this undercover gig. The FBI had been monitoring a bike gang running meth through town, and linked up with the DEA in the city. I was called into my bosses office, introduced as his top DEA agent in the field and was soon handed the gross polyester smock I was draped in. The biker gang both agencies wanted, frequented the convenience store on a nightly basis when they were back from a meth run. Spending money, stealing pastries and selling meth through the old midnight shift clerk, Moe. Moe had been arrested, rolled on the gang and gave up information that I was going to use to make deals with the gang. Try to set up a newer, bigger buy and gather enough evidence that we could take them down and cripple the cities meth supply.

I had been promised up and down, if I did good on this, I would move up a notch and start running my own case work.

Sighing hard, I jammed the mop into the bucket of dark brown barf water and glanced at the clock. It was a little past three in the morning, the drunk rush would be hitting anytime. I shook my head, pushing the mop bucket into the back room when I heard that goddamn ding dong go off. I didn't bother to look at who walked in, it would just piss me off watching them make whatever mess they were going to.

Closing the back room door, I stepped out next to the slurpee machines, looking up to see the blonde doctor, Lauren Lewis, grimacing at the cold cases full of energy drinks. I smiled a little, I had gotten used to seeing her come in at the same time every Saturday for the last three weeks, even more when I saw the tight white tank top tucked into her scrub pants. There was something about her that drew me in, and it was more than just to annoy the shit out of her like I did the first night.

Looking harder at the woman, she was hot, beautiful and even though her hair was up in a hasty ponytail, sweat beading up on her neck, I idly wondered if she had someone at home waiting for her. Waiting for her to come home with her slurpee and junk food, ask about her day and make her smile before crawling into bed together. I often thought about the doctor when I was irritated watching dipshits pump gas with the car running, or leave a tornado of sticky hell at the slurpee machines. I found thinking about her, calmed the ever bubbling irritation in me as a result of this stupid undercover job.

I frowned suddenly, telling myself to get it together and stop projecting my utter lack of life on a hot stranger. I blew out a breath and opted to chase away the melancholy by annoying the doctor, "You know all that shit is nothing but chemicals and sugar, it's like drinking antifreeze."

I smirked when I saw her close her eyes and sigh heavily, "Thank you for the advice." She turned to face me, tired brown eyes meeting mine for a second, making my heart wiggle in a weird way, before she looked past me at the coffee makers, "Isn't there other customers you could annoy? Perhaps a teenager using his cell phone at the gas pumps?"

Smiling, I shrugged, "Nope, you're it." I watched Lauren move to the candy aisle, catching a quick glimpse of her toned arms as she crossed them, inciting a few more thoughts I had to frown at. "Not getting the usual tonight?" I pointed at the slurpee machines, "The coke one is fresh and frosty."

Lauren's brow furrowed deeper, "I appreciate your concern, but isn't there a dozen of bear claws for you to devour in silence?" She glanced at me, her tired eyes betraying her shitty attitude, telling me her cold exterior was just a show. I had always been able to read a person by their eyes, and the small quirks of facial micro expressions telling me everything a person was desperately trying to hide. Lauren was currently hiding something.

"Nah, the doughnut guy runs late on Saturdays, he hates the drunks as much as I do." I sauntered to the slurpees, grabbing the biggest cup and filling it with precision. After capping it, I walked over to Lauren, mulling over gummy fish or sour gummy children. I held out the slurpee, "Here, on the house. The coffee is burnt because the dumbass morning kid is lazy and doesn't clean the pots, and I would hate for you to drink any of those cans of antifreeze." I winked at her, tapping the gummy fish, "These are two for one."

Lauren's face softened, taking the slurpee from me, clearly confused, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Letting go of the cup, I accidentally brushed my fingers against hers, they were a drastic, comforting warmth compared to the ice cold drink. It made my stomach move like I ate bad Mexican food.

I held Lauren's gaze for a second, feeling paranoid she noticed the small breath I took while feeling my skin heat up like I was standing outside in the thick heat of the summer night, not in a freezing party store. That's when I saw it, the tiniest movements on her face, around her eyes that told me she had noticed, and it was possibly doing the same thing to her as it did me.

My mouth went dry, my heart pounded and I had to look away, noticing that her ID badge was missing, "Took my advice I see." My tone came off hard in a shitty know it all way I was notorious for when nervous.

Lauren scrunched her face at me, grabbing another bag of fish, "I have to get back to work." She turned just as the outside pump bell rang.

I looked out the window, a old sedan filled with teenagers rolled up to pump five and I could already see this idiocy about to happen as a few began hanging out the back windows. I groaned, "Stupid teenagers."

Turning back to Lauren, she was already leaving the aisle heading to the cash register. I sighed again, you're on a job, Tamsin, not here to question your life and test out theories and skills on a really hot doctor addicted to slurpees.

Then the rumble of a handful motorcycles roared into the parking lot, drawing my full agent attention to the ten burly, bearded bikers rolling up to the front parking spots. I recognized them instantly by the flaming skulls on the left front side of their leather vests. They were a part of Burning Cannibals, the biker gang I was sent to watch. "Shit."

Rushing up behind Lauren, I scooped up her candy, the package of powdered doughnuts and shoved them into her chest, "All on the house, you better go." I looked at her, grimacing at my roughness. Lauren needed to get the hell out of the store, I knew this biker gang would focus on her the moment they saw her. She was hot and they would harass her, and if she was a bitch to them, they would write down her car, plate number and then find where she worked, where she lived and harass her until they got what they want.

And for whatever strange cosmic reasoning, I had to protect her. The idle thought of any of those shit heads laying a pudgy, sun baked, biker finger on her, and I would rip every hair out of their beard while they watched me burn their bikes.

I shoved the doctor, "Lauren, go, now." She caught the tone of my voice and looked down at me with soft, worried eyes. I smiled tightly, "Get in your car, lock the doors and drive around the back of the building to get out." I pushed her again, "Trust me."

Lauren waited a second, before nodding once and rushing out the door to her car. She climbed in the driver's seat just as the first biker parked his bike and climbed off. Hooting and hollering at the dumb teenagers who now looked like they had seen a million ghosts, scared beyond shitless.

I hopped over the counter, shoving my .45 in the back waistband of my jeans. I sat up on the counter, picking up the tabloid I had been reading when the first biker walked in. He was my prime target, Red Beard, leader of the gang a real piece of shit on the bottom of the devil's shoe. I had built up a quiet rapport with him two weeks ago when he harassed me and I threw it back, making the fat fuck laugh and actually pay for all the shit his crew stole. He came in last week and we had started the gentle back and forth of building a lovely dealer, buyer relationship.

"Tammy!" He hollered at me, half of his crew shoving in behind him and grabbing everything in sight while the other half stood outside, smoking cigarettes and laughing at the teenagers squealing off in fear.

I greeted Red Beard, but kept my eyes on Lauren. I could see her staring back at me from inside of her Range Rover, holding a cell phone. I shook my head, mouthing, "Go." Smiling and winking to let her know I was okay.

I watched her nod back, look around to see the other bikers still distracted as she backed up and drove around the building like I told her.

When she was safely gone, I relaxed, letting out a breath and indulging in back and forth shit talk with Red Beard as he drank beer from the case in his arms. I answered his questions about what I was looking for without skipping a beat. All while my heart was skipping a few beats, I was in trouble and it wasn't with this biker criminal in front of me or his shitty cohorts around me.

It was the blonde doctor with a sugar addiction.

She was going to be trouble, more trouble than I knew.

 ** _The Next Morning –_**

"You can clean the bathrooms, Kenny, you never do shit and it was a long night. So you can fuck right off." I groaned at the greasy string bean of an eighteen year old trying to tell me I needed to clean the bathrooms before I left.

Kenny stared at me shocked, "I am going to tell Deb."

I rolled my eyes as I took off the smock, "Go ahead, she isn't going to fire me." I squinted at the grease ball covered in zits, "But I might tell her how you get baked as fuck before you come in." I took an exaggerated sniff of the kid, "You smoke some shit weed, Kenny."

I chuckled, walking away from him, stopping to fill up a large cup of coffee from the one pot I cleaned for my own use. "The toilet brush is under the sink. I think a guy threw up his entire stomach in the men's room ten minutes ago, you should probably get to that it before it dries." I smiled waving at Kenny as I walked out into the bright morning sun.

Sliding sunglasses on, I yawned, sucking in a thick breath of the hot morning air. Good hell, it was going to be another scorcher. At least my house was chilling as we spoke, I had bumped the air up when I left and was eager to burrow in blankets and sleep the day away. I was exhausted, Red Beard hung out for two hours, vetting me and we had set up a small buy deal for next week. I was going to buy a few grams for my pals and see if they liked it and if Red Beard could trust me. This job would be done faster than imagined, Red Beard was eager, greedy and egotistical.

Taking a large sip of black coffee, I headed towards my car, keeping my head down as I walked and thought about what leftovers I had in my fridge. I was starving and making deals had me missing out on my usual meal of bear claws, nachos and sweet tea. Yawning again, I decided I should get a salad on the way home, try to balance out the shit food eaten every night.

Just as I reached the trunk of my car, I heard a car door open and close two spaces away. Thinking it was Deb, the store manager, I looked up to say hi. My smile paused halfway when I saw Lauren standing outside of her car dressed in scrubs that had a few dark spots around the middle, I wondered if the spots were slurpee stains and I opened my mouth to make a dumb comment about her addiction, "Doctor, it's a bit early to hit the sugar? You look like you haven't slept."

"I haven't. I left work a few minutes ago." She dipped her head down, embarrassed or something, "I…um…came here for coffee." I knew she was lying in the way she folded her arms awkwardly around her middle.

"Fair enough. Use the pot on the far right, I scrubbed the hell out of it last night." I opened the backseat of my car, tossing the smock on the seat while I discreetly tucked the .45 in the middle console.

"Are you okay?" Her voice barely made it to me, but it still caught my attention.

I gave her a confused look, leaning on the roof of my car, "Sure?"

Lauren shook her head, stepping back to her car, "Nevermind." Opening her door, she hesitated stepping in the giant Range Rover. That's when I realized the blonde doctor wasn't here for sludgy coffee.

"Lauren, I'm okay. Those bearded fucks come in all the time, I sling their shit back and they leave me alone." I shrugged, "They leave me alone because I'm just as annoying to them as I am to you." I stepped away from the car, "Have a good day, doctor. Get some rest."

She looked over her shoulder at me, tired brown eyes that were staring at me like she had a confession or a revelation about to spill forth. She nodded, "Thank you." The way she said it begged more from me, but I couldn't. I was undercover and yea, I just couldn't. No matter how much this strange gesture from the doctor filled my entire body.

I smiled tightly, playing with my keys and debating a million a two things before I finally opened the driver's side door and fell into the seat. Cringing at how fucking hot the car was, I started it, cranking the air to the max and rolling down the windows.

I turned to look at Lauren climbing into her car, I bent over calling out the window, "See you Saturday for the usual cup of crap you love?"

Lauren rolled her eyes, a faint trace of a smile gracing her lips, "Maybe."

"Maybe always means yes, doctor." I waved at her, watching and waiting for her to close the door and drive away.

When she was gone, I rolled the windows back up before leaning my forehead against the steering wheel, letting out a huge breath.

Yup. I was definitely in trouble.


	3. Chapter 3

N: Who knows how this turned out...but its copdoc and the seven of you reading it will like it. So enjoy and tell me things? Hopefully next chapter will be better.

* * *

A tired mind reacting to a bit of kindness, that's all that was.

Nothing more for you to over analyze, Lauren.

I sat in my car in the driveway, my hands folded in my lap as my eyes ran over the dots of bloodstains on the scrubs I desperately needed to change out of.

I was tired, that was a fact and I have no idea what other fact drove me to stop at the convenience store and wait for Tamsin to leave. Maybe it was the overwhelming business of the emergency room and Dr. Tanner talking about how he couldn't save a young woman, a victim of a late night armed robbery at a local party store. I felt my stomach drop as he chatted to de-stress and wonder what he could have done differently, describing the young blonde woman to a degree my mind was placing Tamsin's features on her. Next thing I knew, I was sitting in the parking lot debating on going in the store or driving off when Tamsin finally walked outside and calmed all of my irrational fears.

I shook my head, rubbing my face, it wasn't Tamsin and it wasn't my place to worry about a woman who agitated me the full ten minutes I spent with her on any given week.

Opening the car door, picking at the bloodstains again, I sighed. Maybe it was the way she looked at me like she was protecting me when those bikers rolled. The way she looked at me as if she could protect me in ways I never knew I needed.

Groaning and reaching for my bag I chalked all of these ideas up to lack of sleep and too much junk food. A few hours of sleep and I would be back to my normal detached ways.

Detach from the feeling that I might be developing awkward feelings on the cashier who supplied my Slurpee addiction.

* * *

 _ **Saturday-**_

I could feel my jaw twitch, I was so tired and irritated. It had been another busy night in the emergency room. Rush after rush of broken humans looking at me to put them back together, mixed with the handful of recent med school graduates getting in my way and asking too many damn questions at the wrong time, all added up to me wanting to scream and throttle someone. I left the hospital at the end of my shift in a huff, ignoring the nurses asking if I wanted to join them for a pitcher at the local bar like I had been doing the last week trying to find some sort of life outside of the hospital.

I wanted to go home, drown in a hot bath with the air conditioning running on iceberg and drink half a bottle of liquor to settle down. I was over the heat of summer and how it seemed to irritate the world and make people stupid.

Pulling the car into the parking lot, I parked the car up in the side lot trying to avoid the two cars full of giggling teenagers throwing chips at each other.

I yanked off my ID badge and bloodstained scrub shirt, balling the two up before throwing them on the floor, and hopped out of the car. Groaning and cursing when the wall of hit made me suck in a breath and gather my hair in a messy high bun as I walked to the front door.

I gave one of the teenagers a dirty look when he whistled at me commenting on my tight blue tank top in a lewd manner, almost stepping over to him and slapping his bag of chips out of his hand before stomping on them. Instead, I clenched my jaw tighter and walked inside, taking a deep calming breath when the cool air drew goosebumps along my bare arms.

Moving directly to the Slurpee machine, I went through the automatic motions of filling up the largest cup, watching the slush spiral down. I needed to lie down in a pool of slush, maybe it would help everything I was feeling.

"You dipshits are loitering, read the sign above your stupid floppy hair heads!" Tamsin's voice was booming at the front door, the doorbell ringing as she held the door open.

I spun around to see her half in the store and half out, flipping the teens off. "Yea? I should go fuck myself? At least I would getting more action than you'll ever see you little shit bag." She scowled, stepping out further, "You have two seconds before I call the cops on you for loitering and then on myself after I punch you in the mouth."

I chuckled, shaking my head as I capped the Slurpee. The teens were smart, opting to leave rather than invoke the rage of the blonde cashier. I turned around to Tamsin still scowling with handfuls of empty chip bags in her hand, shoving them into the trash can.

I felt my throat tighten at the sight of her, she was ridiculously good looking even with an angry bitch face. "Rough night?" I forced the words out, hoping they didn't squeak out.

Tamsin's head spun around, her eyes locking on mine, a hint of a smile gracing her lips and her eyes lighting up like it was Christmas morning. Making me suddenly very sweaty and nervous. "Nothing out of the usual, Lauren. It's just so damn hot out that it brings all the cities idiots to this store." She washed her hands at the small sink by the nacho cheese, "Good to see you are a creature of habit, doctor." She nodded to my Slurpee, "I'll give you a frequent shopper card, buy four get the fifth free."

I rolled my eyes, walking towards the pretzels, "Thank you, but no thank you." I lifted a bag of pretzel nuggets.

Tamsin chuckled, "Don't want evidence of your sugary addiction?" She walked over to me, leaning on the far end of shelves, her eyes running over my tank top in a way that wasn't as lecherous as the teen and it made my skin prickle and flush.

I felt my jaw clench at her tone, I was tired and on edge and really didn't want to deal with anyone's shit. ""Once the heat breaks, I stop drinking these things." I glared at the blonde, meeting her blue green eyes that made my jaw relax instantly the way they looked at me. I sighed, moving towards the register with my head down.

"Are you trying to tell me in a roundabout way that I won't be seeing you every Saturday soon?" I could almost hear the sadness in her voice, however barely there it was.

Setting my drink and pretzels down, I nodded to no one, "Possibly." I dug around my pocket for the small bill fold. "Stopping here has become an unconscious habit I need to break."

Tamsin appeared in front of me, "Aw, and here I thought you were coming in to check on me?" She winked at me, punching buttons on the register, "Thank you by the way."

I cocked an eyebrow, "For what?"

Tamsin's smirk softened, "For checking on me last week after the bikers stopped by." She met my eyes, "Not everyone would give two shits about me, just run like a little girl when they saw the bikers." There was a strange vulnerability that had me curious about this woman on a level I knew I shouldn't.

I swallowed hard, tearing my eyes away and back down at the five dollar bill I was trying to remove. "Um, I was concerned. It's not a safe shift to work." I cleared my voice, handing out the five dollar bill, "Why didn't you want me to call the cops?" I looked up, my voice sounding so little.

Tamsin was still staring at me, her face still softly smiling, "Cops make problems bigger around here. It's easier to entertain old nasty bikers and give them free beer." She took the five dollar bill, her fingers grazing mine, sending curious shivers up my arm, so much so I had to control from jerking my arm away in response.

I kept my head down, reaching for the pretzels when I heard in a soft voice, "What was the real reason you came to check on me the next morning, Lauren?"

My head shot up, fearing Tamsin was reading my thoughts about trying to sort what it was about her that made me feel a million strange things. A few leaning towards things I had not felt in a long time, alive, safe and wanted. I opened my mouth to say something, knowing my blank face was telling her everything in the split seconds of awkward silence.

That's when I was saved by the roaring rumble of motorcycles rushing into the parking lot.

"Shit, fuck." Tamsin's curse words snapped me back to her, her jaw clenched tight, "They're early." She turned back to me, "You don't have time to leave, they'll see you."

I looked at her confused, "I parked on the side of the building, I should be fine."

She shook her head, "Not tonight, the gang is bigger tonight. They're all in town for some weird biker bonfire." She hustled around the corner, grabbing my elbow firm yet gently. I yanked away, not enjoying someone touching me, no matter how warm and soft her hand was.

Tamsin huffed, grabbing my elbow again, forcing me to look at her, "Lauren, trust me. For once in your goddamn life, throw caution to the wind and trust a stranger. A stranger who will give you free Slurpee's until snow falls and a stranger who really wants to see you get home safely tonight." She searched my eyes once more, "Please, trust me."

I sighed, hating the way my gut was agreeing with her, that I should trust this stunning yet fearfully irritating blonde in front of me. "Fine."

Tamsin rolled her eyes and drug me to the back room filled with boxes of cigarettes, candy and a small bathroom. She pointed at the bathroom, "Go in there and close the door, no matter what you hear. Stay in there and don't call the cops."

I gave her another strange look, earning another shake of the head, "Trust me. This will only take about twenty minutes and I'll come get you and you can be on your way back to whatever fancy house you live in, doctor."

She shut the door on me before I could comment, only to open it a second later and throw the bag of pretzels at me.

I groaned, clutching the bag of pretzels, looking around the bathroom. Noting that it was not a functioning one since the toilet had a out of order sign on it with boxes of Marlboro lights stacked on the seat. Finally finding a small step stool, I sat down, twirling the bag in my hand and listening to the obnoxious hoots and hollers of the bikers filling the store. I was still unsure why I was trusting a stranger, but I was and now I was sitting in a filthy bathroom reading the surgeon general's warnings about smoking.

Five minutes passed and I was getting antsy, I wanted to go home and wash the day and heat off of me. "Fuck this." I stood up and opened the door, the noises from outside filling the back room. The bikers were acting like they were in a seedy bar, yelling at each other, slamming cooler doors with the occasional glass bottle hitting the floor in a hard shatter.

I felt all of my stress rise, my jaw clench up and I turned to spot the rear exit door. It was almost worth setting off the fire alarm and running to my car. Screw these bikers, I wanted to go home.

I took one tentative step outside when I heard Tamsin's voice close by.

"Red, you can trust me. I got you how many new buys in the last week? I just want a little more to share, if you know what I mean. This job pays for shit and the bills aren't getting smaller."

I heard a gruff chuckle followed by an equally as gruff voice, "Ten new buys last week, Tammy. You did better than some of my boys out there." Another chuckle, "Must be you charming wit and good looks."

I shuffled to the wall, peering around it to look at Tamsin talking to one of the biggest bikers I'd ever seen with one of the biggest beards I'd ever seen on someone other than Santa Claus. He wore a leather vest with a flaming skull logo I had seen a handful of times over the last weeks in the hands of police officers speaking with patients in trauma bays. The wearers of the flaming skull being the reason why they were in the trauma bays bloodied and bruised.

I frowned, leaning closer to hear more of what was going on and watching as discreetly as possible, understanding now why Tamsin wanted to keep me safe.

Red stepped closer to Tamsin, reaching into a red backpack next to him, removing three brick sized white packages, "Three, I'll give you three and if you can sell this buy next week, I'll up you to ten a week and cut you in ten percent."

Tamsin laughed, shaking her head, "Do I look like I'm a fucking dumb blonde? I want fifteen and twenty percent. I got you top dollar for those bags of powdered shit you were passing off as top quality, I could barely get a buzz off what you gave me." She pointed at the red backpack, "And that shit better be pure meth, none of the cut down horseshit with lighter fluid, ammonia and Billy's secret ingredient." She glared at the massive biker, "I told you I had connections in Miami, I know pure from garbage."

I felt my stomach twist and turn realizing I was watching a drug deal go down in front of me, never mind the increasing rage that the blonde woman I was questioning the odd things she made me feel, was a goddamn junkie dealer.

Red stared back at her, his face turning a bright red purple as if he was about to pound the sass out of Tamsin. They stared at each other for a long second, before he grinned a mouth of white and gold teeth, reaching over to clap her on the shoulder, "Carlos told me you were a bitch." He shook his head laughing as he dug around removing four more bricks from his backpack. "He also said he would hire you in a heartbeat if decide to move back."

Tamsin rolled her eyes, taking the white bricks, "He also knows I'd be locked up in a heartbeat if I went back there. Fucking cops were on my ass like flies to shit." She set the bricks in a white plastic bag. "I'll have your money next week, this stupid store is a perfect setup. A couple zitfaced college kids were asking for stuff yesterday. If this shit is good, I can get you into the colleges down the street."

I cringed at the way she was talking without a care. I balled my hands into fists, trying to control my anger. I had seen firsthand the effects of drugs in this city, noticing that overdoses were on an upswing and here I was, staring at two people very much responsible for it.

I tuned out the rest of the conversation, moving back into the bathroom to call the police with the door closed. I couldn't believe this, I was angry beyond words and ashamed that I had the smallest attraction to the drug dealing woman out there.

Swiping my phone open, I went to dial 911 when the bathroom door whipped open, "Lauren? Are you okay?" I cringed, hearing how different her voice was. It was no longer the strong, rough drug dealing one I had just witnessed, it was softer, smoother and made my heart twitch against my will.

I spun around glaring at her, "I'm calling the police."

Tamsin's eyes grew wide, "You can't." She went to reach for the phone, "I can explain."

I stepped back, holding out my other hand to stop her, "I don't want to hear it. I heard enough, you're a junkie drug dealer. Buying and selling meth from that biker." I heard the operator come on asking me what my emergency was. "Yes, I am at the convenience store on 43rd and Riverfront, and I would like to report a drug deal that happened two minutes ago. Large quantities of meth, I am looking at one of the dealers now."

"Lauren, hang up the fucking phone now." Tamsin pointed at the phone in my hands, "Don't make this harder that it needs to be."

I scowled at her, "What are you going to do? Hurt me? Call back Red and have him threaten me?" I listened as the operator asked for more specifics in a monotone voice. I was half yelling at Tamsin, "You're a drug dealer! You sell poison to kids! The same kids I exhaust myself trying to save when they overdose!" I pointed at her again when she stepped towards me. "Don't you dare come near me?"

Tamsin held her hands up, "Fine, fine, you win." She stepped back, shaking her head as she reached in her back pocket removing her own phone, when I caught a glimpse of the butt of a gun tucked in a holster.

I backed further up into the corner, whispering into the phone, "Hurry, she has a gun and…"

Tamsin's eyes darted to mine at the same time she finally snatched the phone out of my hands, hanging up on the operator. "Goddamit Lauren! Don't say shit like that to 911!"

"You have a gun! What the hell am I supposed to say?!" I peered behind her at the open door, judging if I outweighed her enough to bowl her over and run for it. She was taller than I, but if I caught her off guard….

Tamsin stared at me as she tapped on her phone, staring harder as she pressed it to her ear and catching where I was looking. She reached behind her, shutting the door and stepping in front of it as she spoke, "Hey Otto, yea it's me Tamsin." She shook her head at me, her cheeks flush from anger, "Yeah I know about the 911 call, I'm taking care of it now, so go ahead and cancel it. The locals know we are running a sting." She paused, folding her arm across her chest, "Copy that, can you send the tech unit in, undercover. I have fifteen kilos for them to tag and bag and then test for purity. If I'm right, Red's getting his product from Miami."

I felt my brow furrow in confusion, listening to the conversation and how it felt like I was in an eighties detective show. I remained scrunched up in the corner of the bathroom, still unsure if this was a ruse to get me to relax before I was killed for what I witnessed.

Tamsin closed her eyes, "Tell Simon I'll be in first thing to type the report." She nodded and murmured before hanging up and jamming her phone back in her pocket. "Lauren, for a doctor you are really dumb." She turned and opened the door, both of us hearing the door bell ring followed by loud drunken voices.

"Excuse me?!" I rushed up behind her, "A drug dealer calling me dumb? How rich?"

Tamsin spun around on me, her face bright red, she was even more beautiful with a bright red face, "Listen, I need you to do me a big favor. Get the fuck out of here and never come back to this store until snow falls. Hopefully by then, I'll be out of this godforsaken city." She half turned to the sound of drunken giggles, "I should have known better, the pretty ones always have a chip on their shoulder."

I felt my anger spike and I stepped closer to her, inches away, "A chip on my shoulder? Wow." I grabbed my phone again, noticing that the 911 operator had called back, "Maybe I will get the fuck out of this store and go straight to the police department, file a report about your nightly activities." Never mind the effect hearing her call me pretty had on me, making my stomach wiggle with strange excitement. "Tell them about Otto and the fake call you just made to call off the cops."

Tamsin huffed, closing her eyes as her jaw tightened, "Please do, I could use your witness statement when I take down this biker gang." She still had her eyes closed when she dug in her front pocket, pulling out a business card and shoving it in my chest, "Make sure you spell my name right, now get the fuck out of the store and if you're smart, you won't come back." She said the last part with a hint of sadness in her tone.

Tamsin quickly turned around and rushed out into the store, hollering at a couple drunks eating nacho cheese with their hands.

I was on fire and ran out of the backroom and the store, rushing to my car I jumped into it and squealed out of the parking lot heading towards the nearest police station. Screw Tamsin, screw that store, screw my addiction to Slurpee's and screw the minute feelings of interest I had in the blonde. She was like all the others I had put false hope in, a miserable failure that drew me back to overworking to get through life without thinking about all the things I didn't have.

Squeezing some of my anger out on the steering wheel I stopped at a red light and reached for the business card Tamsin had shoved at me. I held it up to the light, thinking it was a joke and read.

Tamsin Walkirie

DEA Special Agent

Metropolitan Unit

The DEA seal was embossed into the card and I could tell by the thickness of the card, it wasn't a fake, it was real. I looked at the phone numbers on the bottom edge of the card, one for an office phone that had an extension number.

I debated it for a half second before grabbing my phone and dialing the number. I didn't listen to the operator tell me my plethora of choices before I tapped in the extension.

I cringed and shut my eyes in embarrassment as I heard the all too familiar voice who had poked fun at me for my Slurpee addiction, ask me to leave a name and number and Special Agent Tamsin Walkirie would get back to me as soon as she could.

Hanging up, I felt the tears well up.

I had made a huge mistake, bigger than accusing Tamsin of being a dirty drug dealer.

I hadn't trusted her like she begged me too.

I was the miserable failure.


	4. Chapter 4

**N: This might get wrapped up in a chapter or two, who knows. This chapter is weird and maybe it makes sense. Anyways, read it, enjoy and tell me things! All eight of you!**

* * *

 **Three and a half weeks later –**

This job sucked, both of my jobs sucked. I was a month into this undercover detail and I was over it. I had hit my limit of free bear claws, endless streams of nacho cheese and the horrible smell the dumpster outside seemed to permeate my nostrils as the summer heat refused to give any of us a break.

I was closer to getting a big deal set up with Red and taking him down along with the Miami connections I was sure he had, but that was starting to slow down as Red had skipped out of town last week to some rally up north. Bikers sucked with their randomness.

I pushed the mop around a perfectly stubborn stain of fruit punch in front of the cooler doors. Some asshole had dropped a three gallon jug, causing the thing to explode like a water balloon. Covering the shelves and cooler doors in a sticky red mess that I couldn't get to in the middle of the drunk rush.

"I'm a college graduate; I have a master's in bioterrorism. I was the top in my class at Flintco." I grumbled my positive attributes trying not to snap the mop handle, shout fuck it all and blast out of the stupid party store and drive home. I was over this. Over the polyester smock that reeked of weird meats and coffee. Over the drunken leering and the mega dispshits who could not understand the definition of flammable. I was confident that I would either find my fate at the hands of diabetes from all the sugar I ate or I would perish in a grand fireball at the hands of a smoker, smoking and pumping gas.

I groaned, pushing the mop harder to get the last sticky edge of the fruit punch off the floor. I needed out of this place and would happily take a desk job if it was offered to me right now.

The doorbell went off, making me grimace and look at my watch. It was almost two a.m., the drunk rush was approaching fast. Dropping the mop into the bucket I kicked the mop towards the storage closet, walking behind it to take my seat on the counter behind the cash register. I really wasn't into being here tonight, I was tired, cranky and irritated at the lack of movement with Red.

Never mind that I was still stuck thinking about the doctor at the most random times, and how I wanted her to walk in at the same time on Saturday night like she always did and look at me with those tired brown eyes and try to not smile when I knew it was exactly what she needed and wanted to do in the moment after I threw out one of my signature snarky comments.

I looked up, spotting a cop in the corner grabbing energy drinks and water. He smiled and nodded at me as I shoved the mop bucket away and walked behind the counter. I chuckled, shaking my head. Lauren had gone to the police department that night I kicked her out, met with Otto and filled out a very accurate and detailed witness statement about what she had witnessed and heard from the bathroom. She even used my agent title, stating that Red offered up goods and payment options without being guided into by me, essentially securing the fact I was not utilizing any aspect of entrapment to snag the dirty biker.

Otto even offered to give me Lauren's contact information if I wanted to speak to her, tempting as it was, I threw it out when I left is office. I liked the woman, was attracted to her, but the way she came at me that night with fire in her eyes and venom in her voice, it forced me back a step. Granted it did make me wonder what she would be like behind closed doors, lights dimmed and romanced to the point that fire in her eyes was directed in mildly more pornographic ways. But, there was the ubiquitous but.

I had a job, a dangerous one and I needed her to stay the fuck away from me.

But why the fuck couldn't I get my mind to stop drifting to her in the middle of draining the Slurpee machines or scrubbing the hot dog roller? I had dated a ton of hot women like her, and none of them stayed with me more than the few weeks or few months we dated. I was very nonchalant when I heard the whole sorry but it's not working speech, even more when I was the one giving it.

I sighed, throwing on a fake smile for the cop coming to the counter. He pulled out a money clip, smiling at me, "Slow night?" He motioned to the empty party store.

"For now, the drunks will be flooding in soon." I glanced at his cruiser outside the door, "You should sit on the corner, snag a few DUI's."

The cop gave me a small look, "Wouldn't that ruin business?"

I shrugged, "I could care less about this place and it's business." I waved at the energy drinks and water he set in front of me, "That's all on me. I know how it is wearing that hot box of a vest and sweating your ass off in polyester."

The cop's face faded completely, staring at me. Tilting his head down he shoved a few dollars in the dumb tip jar the morning stoner kid set out as a joke. "State, local or other?" He met my eyes, "You have that cop voice when you said DUI and the sunny disposition that comes with being on undercover."

I chuckled, "Other." I grabbed a plastic bag, throwing in a candy bar, "If you wet a paper towel and freeze it in a plastic bag, then slip it between your vest and undershirt, it will change your life."

The cop laughed, taking the plastic bag, "I'll do that." He took a step back, "I was wondering why I hadn't seen Moe in the last few weeks."

We both turned to a couple cars turning into to the gas pumps, the cop gave me one last look, checking out my nametag, "Be safe, Tamsin."

I saluted him, "You too Officer Davis." I pointed at his cruiser, "Read the dispatches and stay the hell away from this place before you blow my cover." I winked at him with a bright grin, reaching over to turn on pump nine for the bottle blonde tripping on her stilettos climbing out of a Cadillac SUV.

The cops smile faded once more, swallowing nervously he gave me a curt nod and hustled out of to his cruiser.

I rolled my eyes, leaning against the counter. The locals had been all debriefed to stay the shit away from here while I was working. The idea was to give Red and his gang the impression that the locals were too busy and this corner was forgotten. Giving me free reign to drum up drug business and maintain a strong cover that I was a former junkie turned dealer.

Sliding up on the counter I picked up this week's tabloid, flicking through pages and half reading articles. I would occasionally look up to slap the pump button. Thankful that people were only getting gas and not bothering to come in and walk all over my spotless floors.

* * *

After one bottle blonde, four stupid bros in their truck coming from the baseball game, two teenagers who had no damn idea how to use the prepay no matter how slowly I spoke the directions over the microphone, I was once again left alone. Maybe this Saturday night would be slow and there would be no drunk rush.

Moving to the local newspaper, I succumbed to the temptation of a bear claw and began gnawing on it in frustrated boredom. Five minutes into the gripping article about the state fairs pie eating contest, the doorbell went off. I sighed, frowning as I heard heavy steps move to the Slurpee machines, but kept my eyes on how Billy Walker, age 13 had taken down ten blueberry pies to take the title of pie champion.

God this place was sucking the life out of me. I needed to go back to New York or Los Angeles and be around the vapid masses who made me feel a million times better about my life.

Hearing a plastic lid hit the floor, I shot my head up, "If you make a mess you better clean that shit up."

The last few words stumbled out of my mouth when my eyes landed on Lauren shoving a plastic lid in the trash, turning to look right at me. She was wearing that tight white tank top that I had last seen her in and had haunted me every time I did laundry and folded my own white tank tops. She looked exhausted, her hair sticking to her forehead and back of her neck as a few strands fell away from her ponytail. The doctor looked stunning as a sweaty, grumpy mess and I cursed my heart when it skipped one single beat, telling me a million things I really didn't want to hear.

"I'll be in and out." Her tone was curt as she snapped a lid on her trucker jug sized Slurpee cup. She turned towards me, her eyes flickering to mine before dropping to the floor.

I slid off the counter, suddenly feeling like I had to apologize for being a big dick to her the last time she was here. "It's okay, it's been a slow night." I gave myself a dirty look, could I be more awkward and dopey?

Lauren nodded, clenching her jaw as she strode up to the counter. "I didn't realize what I was doing until I walked in the door." She unfolded a few dollar bills, dropping them on the counter. "It wasn't a slow night for me." She swallowed hard, chancing another look at me.

The look in her eyes broke my steel walls that were covered in a thick covering of ice. There was something in her eyes that told me that she probably did come here on autopilot, but there was a deep hidden reason why she did. I sucked in a slow breath, putting on my big girl pants. "Um, about the last time you were here." I frowned, I only put my big girl pants on when I really wanted something or someone, and I was starting to realize I really wanted Lauren, or at least get to know her better.

Lauren shook her head, her face contorting in a strange sad smile, "I made a mistake. I should apologize." She fidgeted with her small wallet, "I jumped to conclusions, like I so often do." She looked up at me, the sad smile tighter, "I'm sorry for my behavior, Tamsin."

I shook my head, "I should apologize for being an asshat. I shouldn't have put you in that position."

Lauren looked down at her Slurpee, pausing for a minute as she fully examined the brown slush pushing through the top of her cup, "I should go."

She should have yes, right that minute, but apparently fate had other ideas as the roar of motorcycles hit the parking lot. Red's gang filled the small lot quickly. "Fucking fucker fuck." I looked at Lauren. There was no way in hell she could leave now, the motorcycles had surrounded her car, blocking any chance of exit.

Lauren's sad eyes turned wide, as she looked at me. "The bathroom?"

I grimaced, trying to think quickly. Finally, I waved her to follow me, "The back room."

Lauren nodded and followed, allowing me to grab her elbow as she rounded the corner. Pointing to the office, I guided her, "Go in there and try to stay quiet. This may take awhile, he hasn't been in town in the last two weeks and I need to make a deal." I glanced at the blonde doctor, catching my breath at the way she looked at me as if she trusted me with her life. It was a look that threw me off and wished I could capture it, have it for longer than the three seconds before I gently pushed her in the office. "I'll keep you safe. If shit goes to shit, call 911. Tell them who I am and officer down. The cops will swarm this place like I was giving away doughnuts."

Lauren smiled a bit, "You already give them away."

I sighed, moving to my bag, removing a pair of extra jeans I shoved in there for when the Slurpee machine decided to barf all over me. I tossed them to Lauren, "Put these on and shove your scrub pants in my bag. If you have to come out, I don't want them to know what you do."

Lauren nodded, clutching the jeans to her stomach as I went to rush back out hearing the doorbell go off. As I closed the office door, Lauren spoke softly, "Please be careful Tamsin."

I smirked at her, "I can't promise that, I'm about to make a drug deal for thirty kilos of cocaine and meth." I saw her face fall, "But I can promise I'll keep you safe, Lauren, then after I'll buy you a Slurpee."

I shut the door on her after watching her roll her eyes and smile.

Sucking in a breath, I moved back out to the front, grinning when I spotted Red at the beer cooler, "Where the fuck have you been? I ran dry last week and have itchy junkies climbing up my ass."

Red spun around, grinning and laughing, "Tammy! Good to see you too!" He popped open a beer, chugging half of it in the first sip. Wiping his face on the back of his hand, he sauntered over to the counter, "I was down south picking up another load of shit. I have the thirty you want and some new stuff my guy wants you to push. Some weird pcp meth mix, it's a hit down in Miami and my guy wants to branch out."

I leaned against the counter, "Fuck the new shit, I don't do new shit that hasn't been vouched for. I also don't fuck with PCP." I nodded at his boys eating and drinking the store empty, "Get your monkeys to sell the new shit, I only want the high grade. I have high grade customers to service."

Red shrugged, "Part of the deal is you take the new stuff with the thirty, no negotiations." He sipped the beer, "My guy wants to see if you're legit. Won't believe me when I tell him you're one frigid bitch."

I chuckled, "Thanks for that Red." I moved away from the counter, "Fine, give me the new shit, but I'm taking thirty percent off the top on the new shit. I have to hustle harder to get the college junkies to buy anything new."

Red grinned, "I'm good with thirty percent." He reached into his leather jacket, tossing a few small bundles of blue pills onto the counter. "You have a week to get rid of the kilo. I've been selling them at forty, fifty a bundle. One taste and they'll pay twice that. Trust me, Tammy."

Scooping up the bundles, I scrutinized them, "We'll see, Red. It's a tight racket here with pills. The college shits all have mommy and daddy's prescriptions for free." I dropped the bundles, moving to the office to grab Red's money. "I have your money for the last load you gave me."

I cracked the door open, glancing at Lauren crammed in the corner trying to hide out of sight. I held a finger over my lips and reached for the black duffel bag next to mine, when Red started laughing, "You hiding a piece of ass back here?"

I clenched my jaw and my fists, trying not to turn and slug the bearded fucker for what he just said about Lauren. I snatched the bag, gave Lauren a knowing look and turned back to Red with a smirk on my face, "You know how it is, midnight shift, no one around. A girl has to do what she's got to do to stay busy."

Red chuckled, trying to get a better look at Lauren when I shoved the bag in his chest. He peered at it before looking back in the office, "She drive that fancy car parked outside? You fucking one of your customers?"

I grinned, trying to keep my anger in check, "Naw….." I grabbed his shoulder, "Let's get the shit you brought me." I was trying to change the subject when Red pushed me back.

"I want to get a look at her." He hollered in the office, "Hey, Tammy's piece of ass, come out here and say hi!"

I went to reach for him, "She's just a fling, we bang it out on top of the cigarettes, I give her a free carton and we go our separate ways." I winked at him, "You know how it is." I moved my hands to my hips, closer to where I had my gun tucked in the middle of my waistband.

Red gave me a look, a look I had seen a thousand times in other drug dealers when they started to doubt you. "Tammy, I want to see her." He had a hard smile on his face, "I've always wondered about your taste in ass."

I tipped my head down, laughing and moving my hand to my gun. I was two seconds away from being blown, he would look at Lauren in the corner scared shitless and my cover would be blown and in turn I would have to probably shoot him. "Red, I'm here to do business…."

"It's okay, baby. If he wants to look at my ass, let him." Lauren's voice broke the silence, she had dropped her tone and had a slight baby airhead accent to it.

I turned to look at the blonde, she was giggling and smirking at me. Her hair was out of the ponytail and in a wild mess that looked like we did indeed had just banged it out on the cigarettes, the freshly fucked tangled hair looked. Her lips were a bright red, covered in that atrocious lipstick Deb wore, slightly smeared at the corners.

My jeans hung off her, showing off her hipbones, making my mouth go dry when I saw them and the edge of her very toned stomach. Somehow Lauren had also hitched her breasts up to be almost pouring out of the top of the tank top, and somehow in the last thirty seconds the good doctor become incredibly hot, making me think about what it would be like to have her over a case of Marlboros.

Lauren sauntered over to me, throwing an arm around me and tracing my jaw with a finger, "You can finish your business then finish me off." She then turned to Red, giggling at him, "I like your beard."

Red's grin grew wider as he scanned his filthy eyes over Lauren, "Damn Tammy, she's quite the piece."

Lauren giggled, leaning closer to me, sliding her arm around my waist and squeezing it in a way that told me to relax. I looked in her bright amber eyes, seeing that she was trusting me right now to play along. I nodded to her, sliding my arm around her, "Thanks Red."

"What's your name princess?" Red stepped closer to Lauren, running his fingers through his beard in a way that made me want to break his fingers off and shove them down his throat.

Lauren giggled, leaning her head on my shoulder, "Candace, but everyone calls me Candy."

He licked his lips, "I bet they do." He moved closer reaching out to touch Lauren, "I wouldn't mind a taste."

Lauren giggled, playfully slapping his hand away, "No, no! Only Tammy can touch."

Red's eyes hardened as he pulled his hand back, opening his mouth to say something when Lauren interrupted him, "Tammy is the only one who can touch, but I didn't say you couldn't watch."

I spun my head around to look at her as she leaned closer to my ear giggling and whispering, "Trust me, Tamsin." She bent back, sliding her hands to the sides of my face, pulling me closer until our lips brushed against each other. Both of us sucking in quick gasps at the tiny sparks of electricity that hit at the simplest touch. I went to lick my lips, but was stopped when Lauren's covered mine in a hard, but very soft kiss.

Her lips, oh god were they soft, warm and seemed to fit with mine perfectly. I unconsciously leaned into the kiss, closing my eyes and letting the sensations of kissing the doctor take over. I slid both of my arms around her waist, half lifting her up, pulling her tight against me as the kiss went from theatrical to serious. Lauren moaning against my mouth as she clutched to the edges of my jaw, her mouth opening a little wider for me as I couldn't resist running the tip of my tongue along her bottom lip.

We continued to kiss, the party store and Red snickering next to us, fading away to the point all I heard was my heart pounding harder with every passing second we kissed. Around the twentieth second, the kiss became something more than just trying to save both of our asses in front of a murderous biker drug dealer, it became something that I wanted and had to have more of.

"Alright, alright ladies, cool it down before the boys see you." Red slapped my back, "We have business to do."

Lauren parted first, breathing heavy and looking in my eyes with the same look of realization I probably had. There was something between us, the kiss was just the first flicker of what I was certain was a bonfire waiting to happen. She swallowed hard, licking her lips, reaching up to wipe at my mouth, "Sorry baby, my lipstick's all over your face."

I nodded, grabbing her hand and pulling it away, "Go wait for me in the back, I'll be done in a second." I squeezed her hand as I pulled it down. Our eyes never left each other, so many things being said in a silent stare.

Lauren smiled softly, stepping away and sauntering to the back, giggling and waving at Red, "Nice to meet you mister beard."

Red waved childishly at her before looking at me with a shit eating grin, "Bagged yourself a rich piece of ass, nice." He ran a hand over his beard, "Do I need to worry about her?"

I laughed, shaking my head, "Hell no! I supply her with an endless stream of pills and weed. She comes here a couple times of week to get away from her rich husband and get the orgasms he can't ever give her." I motioned over my shoulder, "She's a customer with benefits, she's dumb as a box of rocks and is high as a kite on Xanax right now."

Red laughed, shaking his head, "Fair enough. Give her a sample of the blue shit I gave you, she might like it." He nudged me, "You two are hot as hell and if you ever want to make a few extra bucks…"

I cut him off, "I'm not into amateur anything, so you can shove that idea straight up your ass." I folded my arms, "Let's get the deal done, I have a few regulars due in the next hour and I would like to have something ready for them."

Red held up his hands, "Alright, back to business." He hollered to one of his boys as we moved out to the front, snatching up the big red backpack that was handed to him.

Unzipping it, Red held it open, showing off neat stacks of white powder, "Thirty kilos, all pure, all uncut."

I grinned, taking the backpack from him, "Perfect, now let's talk dollars."

* * *

The deal took forty minutes to complete. Red and his boys left, leaving the store a giant mess and pretty much cleaned out, throwing empties over their shoulder as the roared out of the parking lot. I had set up another buy meeting with Red in a week and half, upping my request to forty kilos. If I could get him to sell me an even hundred kilos, I would have enough evidence to take him down and find out who his guy in Miami was.

Shoving the red backpack in the office, I raced to the back of the store, "Lauren? Where are you?" I was nervous out of nowhere.

"I'm back here." Her voice was quiet and sounded a million miles away.

I popped around the corner and found her sitting on a case of energy drink, leaning on her elbows. Her hair was back in a ponytail and the lipstick was gone. I let out a slow breath, "They're gone."

She nodded, "I heard." She then stood up slowly, folding her arms over her chest as she looked at me, "I…it was the only thing I could think of, I heard in his voice that if I didn't do something…." She shrugged, looking down at her feet. The reality of what I had just put this woman through sunk in and I rushed over to her.

"Lauren, I'm so sorry. Red is a piece of shit and I'm sorry you had to hear all of that and have that piece of fat shit man look at you like that, talk to you like that." I could feel the anger in my tone as it filled my body. I should have just shot the fucker and walked away from this stupid job.

She looked up at me, searching my eyes with very tired brown ones, "It's fine." She dropped her arms and started towards the office, "I'm just going to grab my things and head home."

Lauren was clearly shaken, bothered and upset. I grabbed her arm gently as she passed me, pulling me back to face me, "Lauren, you're not a random piece of ass. You never would be, you're a classy woman that is smart as hell and quick. You saved my ass tonight and I want you to know if that fuck laid one tattooed finger on you, I would have broken them all off and shoved them into his eyes. And for the final record, I would never bang you on top of a carton of cigarettes. That's not my style and you are the type of woman that should be romanced, not banged." I cringed at my verbal diarrhea, spewing out things I would never ever say to anyone, let alone a semi-stranger that I had just sloppily made out with in front of a drug dealer. But Lauren was different, way different and I really wanted to show her how different she was. At the same time I was slowly admitting that I probably had a strong crush for the fussy doctor.

Her eyes turned glassy as she stared at me, I sucked in a breath, "You are and never would be just a piece of ass to me, and if circumstances were different, I would ask if you would grab a drink with me sometime and be shown how classy, beautiful and amazing you are." I stopped, swallowing hard as I realized my heart was speaking for me. I let go of her arm, "I'm sorry, I guess I'm still a little jacked up on adrenaline."

I went to turn and walk back out front when a warm hand grabbed my arm, pulling me to turn back around. I looked up, "You don't have to say anything."

Lauren shrugged, moving closer to me, her hands moving to the sides of my face as she bent forward and kissed me. This kiss was softer than the last, softer and full of meaning as she kissed me silly. Her tongue gently moving across my lips in a silent request for me to give in. And I did, I gave Lauren what she wanted before sliding my hands to her sides, squeezing as I pulled her closer to my body. When we pressed against each other, her hands slid to the sides of my neck, holding me steady as we continued to kiss in a slow passionate way. This woman could kiss like it was her career, and it made me lightheaded and woozy. Something I had never experience before in any of my lifetime record of awesome kisses. Lauren had shot to the top of the list to the point I wanted to throw the damn list out and never look back.

Then that stupid mother fucking doorbell went off, followed by a drunk bellowing out if anyone was in the store. I groaned, parting from Lauren's very soft, very warm lips, "Godfuckingfuckershit." I mumbled it out, closing my eyes.

Lauren chuckled softly, running her hands down to the top of my shoulders, "My thoughts exactly." She sighed, stepping away from me, "About that drink."

I jammed my hands in my pockets after realizing they were just awkwardly hanging out in the air where Lauren had once been. "I should probably go see what the drunk needs."

I spun around, moving to walk out to see what mess the drunk was making when I heard, "Next Saturday, I'll meet you in the morning here and maybe we can get a coffee?"

I looked over my shoulder at a very shy, very freshly kissed blonde, looking at me as if I was about to tell her to fuck off like I did last time. Instead I smirked, "I'll see you then, you're buying."

I winked at her and the dopey smile on her face whispering, "Of course I will.", before turning back to the drunk pouring nacho cheese on his hand.

"Nacho cheese is for the nachos, not your filthy sausage fingers!" I yelled at the poor guy, scaring him so much he jumped back and let the nacho cheese pour all over the floor.

I groaned, shaking my head, barely catching Lauren rush out of the door and hop into her car.

I gave her one last smile as she stared at me from the car, throwing a cute little awkward wave before backing up and driving away.

Leaving me with Edward Nachohands now trying to grab hot dogs off the hot rollers.

This job sucked hard.


	5. Chapter 5

**N: short update, but i was super stuck on this for awhile. Also the other stories will be updated as i have time. And lastly, heres the sales pitch of Redemptio Animae, it's been published and over at Amazon under my pen name Sydney Gibson. You should purchase it for your kindle or in hard copy, then tell your friends and have them tell their friends and so on! Thanks! Reviews are lovely pieces of word candy for me, please leave some!**

* * *

 _ **Three nights later –**_

I was over the summer, starting to seriously contemplating taking a job in a hospital in the arctic. The heat rushed in every time the emergency room doors would woosh open, shoving more acrid, dry, thick heat into the trauma bays along with broken bodies.

Tonight had been busy from the second I stepped into the hospital. Middle of the summer concerts, beer festivals and god knows what else, created a steady rush for the last six hours. I was tired, cranky, hungry, in need of a large cup of coffee or a large cup of whiskey, and wanted nothing more than to get a break so I could sneak down to the morgue and cool down.

"Dr. Lewis? You have another one in room 9." The frazzled nurse looked at me with equally frazzled eyes.

I sighed, smoothing out the edges of the gauze I had put on a drunk frat boys beer bottle induced laceration. He was passed out on the gurney, snoring and burping out a rank smell of cheap beer. At least he was passed out, saved me from enduring the tacky flirting that all college boys tried to lay my way.

Standing up from the rolling stool, I peeled my gloves off and tossed them on the tray. I was over this week, and the only thing honestly getting me through it was the idea of Saturday. I had a sort of coffee date Saturday morning before my long weekend started.

If I was being really honest with myself, the real thing that was keeping me sane was Tamsin. Thinking about her, the way she smelled like clean linen and warmth. The way she would smirk at me when her eyes were offering up a genuine heartfelt smile, and when I closed my eyes, trying to take a nap in the on-call room. I could almost feel the kiss, her arms around me. Strong, protective, gentle.

I ran a hand through my hair, half smiling at the memory of how ridiculous that night had become. I went in there wanting nothing to do with her and left wanting everything from her.

But then I got scared and avoided the party store for the last three days, driving by it keeping my eyes forward. I was scared because Tamsin was only in town for this weird drug dealing she was doing and then she would be on to the next town. I had heard the cops talk about how the federals were like cheap one night stands. Blow into town, take over everything then case closed and they're gone. Leaving you wondering what hit you. I was already wondering what had hit me, only knowing that it was encased in a beautiful woman with earth shattering green eyes.

Picking up a fresh pair of gloves and the chart the nurse left out on the counter in front of room 9, I sucked in a breath. I would never get anywhere in my love life if I found every single excuse I could to avoid doing anything about this never ending lonely existence I had created. My life was work followed by being tired and spending days off sitting in an empty house, debating if I should go grocery shopping or if I could do take out for another week. Basically, I sucked at relationships and hadn't bothered to search one out since the last bad breakup a year ago, leaving me jaded and over it all.

I blew out a breath, clicking my pen to start this next chart. I was going to talk myself out of that coffee date and continue living a Chinese takeout for one, life.

I pushed open the door, keeping my eyes on the chart as I filled out the basics, "Evening, I'm Dr. Lewis, can you tell me how you ended up in the hospital tonight?"

"Hello Candy."

I could hear the smirk in her voice, and when I looked up, a pair of green eyes were doing that smiling thing.

Tamsin sat on the edge of the gurney, her legs swing with her left hand cradled in her lap, wrapped up in a huge wad of paper towel stained with large red splotches. Her long blonde hair was down, curling to stop right at the top of her shoulders. She was wearing a tight grey t-shirt with a faded logo on it, giving me a view of her curves that were hidden under that horrid smock she wore. Good heavens, she was gorgeous and I almost couldn't believe I had kissed her a few nights ago. I snapped back into doctor mode with a touch of genuine worry when my eyes fell to the red splotches of blood on her hand, "Oh god, what happened?" I was embarrassed I had gotten distracted by her anatomy and not the injury on her hand. I was a damn mess tonight.

Tamsin kept her eyes on me, watching me move, "Kenny the pot head shit head, threw out a broken coffee pot in the one trash and when I went to change the bag, I pushed down like I always do to smash the garbage down and a big piece of glass sliced open my palm." She held up the wad of paper towel, "It's not that bad, just bled a lot."

I sighed, looking in her eyes and shaking my head, "Why on earth did you stick your hand in garbage?"

She shrugged, "It's my job, Candy."

I felt my cheeks warm up when she said that stupid name I came up with, "Let me look at it." I reached for the paper towel, delicately unwrapping it, "Please don't call me Candy. I didn't know what I was thinking."

"You were thinking on your feet, Lauren." Tamsin glanced at what I was doing, "Will I need stitches?"

After I had removed all of the paper towel, I examined the large gash on her palm. "Yes, but only a few. It didn't go to deep. You'll be fine with a few quick stitches after I clean it out." I turned away from her, closing my eyes as my heart continued to pound. My body was having a unique reaction to seeing this woman in my ER, injured. One that made me want to this Kenny and karate kick him in the balls for hurting the woman I was clearly crushing on.

Weird silence filled the small room as I prepared the small tray of equipment.

"How have you been, Lauren? Since that night." Tamsin's voice was soft, concerned.

I kept my back to her, fidgeting with the needled and surgical thread, "Good, work has been busy." I rolled my eyes, could I be any stiffer.

"I don't care about your work, I care about you." Tamsin paused, "I want to apologize for that night, getting you involved in all of that and stuff."

I turned to her, searching her face and finding only the genuine woman I had seen the second after we kissed, the one that was making my stomach flop. "Please, don't apologize. I should have stayed in that back room or escaped." I sat down on the rolling stool, "I did what I did because I could see how suspicious he was of you, of me." I scooted closer, trying to think of how to navigate and excuse the kiss. "Kissing you…I…it threw him off." I gently picked up her injured hand and began wiping away the dried blood.

"It threw me off." I could feel her looking at me even with my head down and eyes on the gash in front of me. "But don't apologize for that."

I glanced at her, trying to think of what to say when her other hand came forward, pushing a few strands of hair away from my face. "Lauren, I might be jumping the gun, rushing to the goal line, but I don't care. My job has taught me that embracing the moment is the only way to live." She had my full attention now, those green eyes looking right through me. "I like you, I like you a lot and I know it's only been a handful of days that we've actually known each other, but when we kissed. Well, that kiss took my breath away and for the first time in my career, I almost forgot my cover." Tamsin smirked at me, "I had been debating whether or not I should come here one night, creep on you and ask you to breakfast, but I would talk myself out of it over a bear claw."

I stared at the woman, feeling all of my fear and nerves fade away. I smiled softly, wanting so badly to lean into her hand, "So you decided that shoving your hand into glass would give you the perfect excuse to see me?"

Tamsin shrugged, "It worked didn't it?"

I gave her a wide eyed look, "Don't tell me you did this on purpose."

Dropping her hand away, Tamsin shook her head, "God no. I'm not that creepy." She looked at the injured hand, "At least it's not my gun hand but it does ruin one thing for me."

I bent over, readying the needle and thread to stitch her up, "What's that? Can't double fist the bear claws?"

I heard her chuckle, "That too, but it means I won't be able to hold your hand on that coffee date on Saturday."

I felt my heart skip and my body heat up in a way that wasn't summer heat induced. "Tamsin…"I paused, thinking back on what the local cops said about federal agents, and then there was red. That foul meth dealing biker who probably hid bodies in that filthy beard of his. "You're only in town for this job you're doing." I tried to play it off, trying to keep reason in my head when all it wanted to do was swoon and fall into her strong arms.

"Doesn't mean I'm dead to the world. I've dealt with Reds before, and yea I might only be in this part of town for this job, but after. I'm going to hump a desk in the nicer part of this town." She flinched as I began stitching the gash up, "You are a hard one to flirt with, doc. I should point out you kissed me twice that night, without my permission."

I kept my head down, avoiding the mild interrogation over the fact I did indeed kiss her twice that night. One to save whatever Red was planning and the second time, because spontaneity struck and I stopped thinking with my head and went with my heart. I cleared my throat awkwardly, "I've grown a resistance to it. It's a part of the job." I was lying, I was resistant to frat boy drunken flirting, slimy surgeon flirting and the flirting of cocky cops. But I was very susceptible to the snarky, endearing flirting of the woman in front of me, I just didn't want to bend so quickly.

"You are one hot doctor." Tamsin's voice was low, "And I would really really like to take you to breakfast when you're done stitching me up."

I sighed, finishing the last stitch, "Tamsin, I don't know." I scooted back, placing the needle and thread down on the tray, exchanging them for gauze, "Like you said, we barely know each other. A handful of ten minute encounters over Slurpee's and drug deals." I kept my head down, hating that I was totally talking my way out of something I knew could be good for me. "I appreciate your determination, but maybe we're letting the summer heat get to our heads."

Tamsin said nothing in return, only staring at me softly as I wrapped up her hand, the silence thickening with every second that passed. I could tell victory was mine, i had successfully pushed Tamsin away and in record time.

I didn't look at her until I snipped the last edge of gauze off, securing it before standing up and moving to peel off my gloves, "Try to keep it dry. I will get you an antibiotic script in case of infection. You can take the bandage off in a couple of days, the stitches will dissolve on their own. If you notice any redness or strange coloring on the edges, come back immediately." I tossed the gloves on the tray, reaching for her chart, I wanted to leave the room. The silence and tension was thickening to an unbearable height. I had screwed this up, I had screwed up a chance at something with Tamsin, even if it was a nice one time breakfast with the woman. I shook my head, "You're free to go."

Tamsin slid off the gurney, when her feet touched the floor she took two steps toward me. Grabbing my hips she forced me to look at her. The moment our eyes met, she smirked and lunged at me. Her mouth meeting mine in a familiar way, the same way it had in that back room and I had committed to memory.

I soon found resistance had become futile, her soft, warm lips had melted all of my walls, will and sense. I dropped my hands to fall into her long blonde hair, pulling her deeper into the kiss. She made a small sound and I soon felt myself being half picked up and pushed against the closest wall, my back hitting it with a thud. Tamsin continued to kiss me and I fell deeper into the way it felt, the way she felt pressed against me, the fresh linen smell filling all of my senses. Making me forget about the day I had and all the self-sabotage plans I had laid out to keep this woman away from me. Tamsin was lighting my body back to life in a way that made sense as much as it scared the shit out of me. The snarky, sassy, strong party store clerk slash undercover agent, was blowing into my world and setting it on fire. My body tingled and felt safe in her arms, a feeling I had never really experienced.

Shit. I was in trouble. There was no way now I could talk my way out of her.

After a minute of intense making out, Tamsin squeezed my hips and broke away, "Tell me you felt nothing and I will walk out this door and never look back, Lauren." The smirk on her face carried up into those beautiful eyes of hers.

I swallowed, sucking in a large breath of air. "You should walk out that door now, Tamsin."

I watched as her eyes dimmed and she took a step back, her hands dragging slowly across my hips, "Okay, I can be a gentleman about this." She tipped her head down, "Thank you for stitching me up."

It was my turn to smirk, loving that I had finally got one up on the woman who was driving me crazy from the first second she glared at me with a shitty comment rushing out of her mouth about my sugar addiction. "You can walk out that door, stop at the nurse's station and wait for me. My shift is over in ten minutes and there's a diner by my house that has amazing coffee and pancakes."

Tamsin's head shot up, a confused, eager look on her face. I pushed off the wall and stepped towards her, "I would hate to lie to a federal agent and say I felt nothing, when I feel everything when you kiss me, Tamsin." I grabbed the side of her neck, pulling her to meet me halfway as I kissed her. It was softer than the first one, more intent on proving my point while savoring the way the blonde tasted and felt. I broke away, whispering, "What have you done to me?"

Tamsin chuckled, brushing the back of her hand against my cheek, making me sigh contently, "I should ask you the same, Lauren. But who gives a fuck what the answer is." She bent forward kissing the corner of my mouth softly, "I'll meet you out front."

She grinned and walked out of the room. Leaving me standing in the middle of the room, flushed and excited about what going to come next at breakfast.

Tamsin was right, I should stop questioning everything because if it felt right, who gave a fuck what the right answers were.

I broke out in a stupid grin and left the room suddenly very eager to leave work for the first time in a very long time.


End file.
